La battue

I saw this at the Top Ten Canadian short films screening for 2008.

I don't think I'll ever forget this film about a mother who routinely forces her troubled daughter to go hunting.

The performance of the daughter is unforgettable, she spends most of her time awkwardly struggling through the woods carrying the rifle, moaning and whimpering after she complains to her uncaring mother how much she "hates the land."

Much is unsaid in this film, leaving it up to the audience to take from it what they will. I certainly took in a lot, including the hell that some parents can make of their children's lives when they force their own pastimes onto them.

The cinematography is also beautiful in this. The tracking shots, particularly the big one at the end, are mesmerizing.